Chuck Edghill was up to his chest in a deep hole, his spinning rod barely out of the water, bent with repeated catches of smallmouth bass and bluegills. Below him, Wayne Grauer landed another smallmouth on one of the mix of flies he used all afternoon. Across the river, Joe Bruce held up a smallmouth that — even at a distance — showed a fish with some weight and shoulders.
The fishing — wet-wading style — was good. Very good.
Water striders scurried across the surface, and grass undulated with the current when we stepped into the upper Potomac River earlier this week. At first, the water felt slightly cool, but the water temperature would surely warm in this heat-index-rated 105-degree day.
We were there for smallmouth, but we also caught bluegill. It was good to see the ‘gills return, since for most anglers, catches have been few in recent years.
Both smallmouth and bluegills hit everything. Grauer’s fly-cast offerings included Hornbergs, red-and-whites, black ghost streamers and crystal buggers. Edghill stuck to his favorite tube lures — Bruce to Texas-rigged curly-tailed grubs. And I fished hard-lure surface prop stickbaits and darters.
Wet-wading rivers has been a staple of anglers forever. It eschews the trappings of waders, wading boots, pocketed vests choked with fly/lure boxes and many of the accouterments of stream fishing. All that’s needed is a box or two of flies/lures in a shoulder pack or shorty vest, a rod and perhaps a water bottle. If you’re unsure of your wading skills or if you’re new to an area, add a comfortable blow-up PFD (personal flotation device) that lacks weight or bulk. Wear casual pants that you won’t mind getting gunk-stained when sitting on a rock. Lather on sunscreen, add a hat, and have fun.
If sections of a river seem paved with greased bowling balls (there are a few), skip the sneakers and add sure-grip wading boots — the kind worn over stocking foot waders. Older anglers might want to add a wading staff as security. Plan on getting wet and airing out wet lure/fly boxes at day’s end to prevent hook rust.
While some parts of the upper Potomac are strictly boat fishing, many up-river areas lend themselves to summer wet-wading. Check out spots and access points on the Maryland map “Guide to Maryland Boat Ramps and Piers” (available from DNR, 410-260-8265 or 1-800-688-FINS) or in Fishing In Maryland, which is available at newsstands.
Wading areas are possible from Little Orleans down to about Brunswick, after which it is more boating or tubing water and too deep for wading. Avoid dangerous rocky or riffle areas, and avoid areas above or below dams. Check with a tackle shop or area convenience store for best wading locations. Currently, the best fishing with high-quality water is on the Maryland side.
While the rest of the area was sweltering in the heat, we had no air-conditioning problems. We had water-conditioning. Better than that, we had fun — and caught fish.
C. Boyd Pfeiffer is an internationally known sportsman and award-winning writer on fishing, hunting and the outdoors. He can be reached at [email protected].
